The swineherd
by AiraChica
Summary: In the land of Fairytales, reigns King Arnold. He has been captivated by Helga, the princess who lives in the country next to his own. Rumor says that she is haughty, but Arnold believes that is only her exterior. He is determined to ask for her hand in marriage, but this girl can be hard to convince. Drastic situations calls for drastic measures.
1. You tell me to forget that lesson

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

**They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.**

**Title: "The swineherd"**

**Summary:**_** In the land of Fairytales, reigns King Arnold. He has been captivated by Helga, the princess who lives in the country next to his own. Rumor says that she is haughty, but Arnold believes that is only her exterior. He is determined to ask for her hand in marriage, but this girl can be hard to convince. Drastic situations calls for drastic measures.**_

**Author's 1****st**** note: Yeah, this is going to be very different compared to what I have written before xD "The swineherd" is an old Danish story by HC. Andersen - the man behind "The little mermaid" – and I have always adored it for its message albeit it's a tad too short for my taste xD I have decided to try and take my own spin on it with Arnold and Helga so while you will recognize certain elements from the original story, there are many things that are my own creations. First of all, the ending is going to be very different (doi) so whether you know the original story or not, I'm sure you will find this enjoyable :D**

**This story is only going to be three chapters long, all at least with 5.000 words in it. Happy reading!**

**[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]**

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><p><span>Chapter 1: "You tell me to forget that lesson"<span>

He watched him with a frown upon his face. Gerald, the king's squire, feared and worried for his king. King Arnold was currently standing near a wall in his chamber, gazing upon a picture of the princess who lived in the kingdom near his own. The princess' name was Helga and Gerald's king had fallen for the girl even though he had only met her once at one of the many balls her parents had arranged.

"If I may say so, your majesty, I do not understand your taste in women." Gerald said. Usually, he would never speak in such a casual voice to his king, but Arnold was an unusually kind king and did not care for formalities and had insisted that his servants would call him by his name and speak to him like they would to any other.

Arnold sighed and turned to look at Gerald. "We do not share the same taste in women, squire. That is to be expected." He replied and turned to look at the picture once again.

The frown stayed on Gerald's face. "But the people in the town says that the princess is - - " he started and Arnold whipped around to look at him.

"People love to gossip. What are they saying?" he asked.

Gerald smiled in triumph. "They say that the princess is very… _haughty_." He whispered as if it was some sort of big secret.

"I have heard that as well." Arnold said and grabbed the picture from the wall.

Gerald nodded eagerly. "So surely she is not to the king's taste?" he asked, but Arnold shook his head.

"I'm sure it's only her exterior. On the inside, she is good and kind. I'm certain of that!" he insisted and smiled at the picture.

Gerald frowned again. "But… the emperor and the empress are also supposedly - - "

"But it is not the emperor nor the empress I wish to marry. Do I, Gerald?" Arnold asked with a smirk and Gerald smiled back.

"Of course not." He said and arched his back.

"This is why I have called upon you, Gerald. I need your advice. How do I win the heart of the princess?" Arnold asked and looked expectantly on his squire.

Gerald sighed deeply. "Well… if the rumors are true… the princess adores gifts." He replied with despair on his face.

"Gifts…" Arnold repeated thoughtfully.

"Gold seems to be popular in that palace." Gerald added.

"No. I refuse to give her something shallow and materialistic. That doesn't show her how much I love her or why I do. No, I want something that symbolizes… A rose!" Arnold announced.

Gerald felt that he would pass out soon. "A rose?"

"Yes, and a pink one. Princess Helga always wear pink dresses, surely it is her favorite color. A pink rose that symbolizes her beauty…" Arnold declared and put the picture of Helga back on the wall.

"Is that all you wish to bring her, your majesty?" Gerald asked in disbelief, wondering if such a simple, but genuine gift could impress a princess like Helga.

"Of course not!" Arnold replied and Gerald smiled in relief, but not for long. "The rose only symbolizes her beauty. I need something that symbolizes her soul as well. It is not her beauty I love her for after all." He continued and walked towards the window to sit down on the pane, something he only did when he was alone or if Gerald was the only other person in the room. It didn't fit a king after all. "Something that symbolizes her soul…"

"Perhaps a mirror?" Gerald suggested with a snicker and Arnold shot him a slanted look. "Apologies for the frivolity, your highness." Gerald apologized, still with a smile on his face.

Arnold turned and opened the window to gaze outside. Instantly, he noticed a bird sitting on the willow tree and singing. "Squire, what is the name of this bird?" he asked and Gerald approached him to look outside. "It is simple-looking and yet it sings such a beautiful melody." Arnold observed as Gerald leaned his head out of the window.

"Oh! That would be a nightingale, your majesty." He answered with a smile.

"A nightingale… That's it! I will give her a nightingale! A bird that sings the melody of the soul." Arnold declared and offered the nightingale his hand. The gray bird observed his hand for a moment and then jumped onto it, nestling comfortable in his palm. "Bring me a bird cage, Gerald and then we will make haste to the princess." He ordered in excitement and pet the nightingale.

"You definitely have a way with animals, your highness." Gerald replied and walked away after bowing to him. "I fear that you lack a way with women though…"

* * *

><p>A lovely melody ricocheted in the study, perhaps with more edge to it than its listeners would have preferred. "Play it more softly, dear." The mother of the pianist ordered gently.<p>

The girl rolled her eyes. "Mother, care to remind me why I am allowed to play only one song on the spinet?" the blonde asked.

"Because you have yet to learn how to play just this song beautifully, Helga." Her father replied in her mother's place.

Helga frowned, spread her fingers and banged them on the tangents. Her parents held their hands to their ears. "Dear, you just gave me a headache." The mother complained as her daughter stood up.

"Your headache is not due to my way of playing, it is due to your new-found love of Merlot." Helga retorted and walked past her.

"The daughter of an emperor should not raise her voice!" her father yelled.

"Nor should the emperor!" she retorted and he stood up, ready to yell at her until someone knocked on the door.

The father sat back down on his chair, watching his daughter cross her arms and look away. "Yes?" he said and one of the servants walked in.

He bowed gracefully. "Your royal highness. King Arnold from the land of Fairytales requests the princess' presence." The servant said formally, keeping his head held low.

Helga quirked an eyebrow. "King Arnold?" she repeated in confusion, but then she remembered him and felt the corner of her mouth lift on its own. She remembered meeting him at one of the balls her parents had most recently hosted.

"Land of Fairytales." The emperor snorted and shook his head. "His people consists only of idealistic excuses for humans."

Helga frowned at her father's words, but said nothing. "What does he wish of me?" she asked, but the servant shook his head apologetically.

"He did not say so, your royal highness, but he is carrying a silver casket and something else hidden beneath a vail. I believe they are presents for the princess." The servant replied and Helga's face lit up.

"Presents?" she questioned and noticed that her father started to smile.

"Seems like you have managed to get yourself an admirer, my daughter. I would have preferred a man whose ideals were remotely close to our own, but to be honest, I am relieved that even he has taken a liking to you." He said and stood up from his chair, helping his queen to stand up as well. Helga frowned at his words, but lifted her dress slightly up from the floor and followed the servant out of the study, knowing that her parents were following close behind.

* * *

><p>"I am nervous, Gerald." Arnold said and fidgeted with his cape.<p>

"Of course you are. You have walked into the lion's den." Gerald retorted, his expression tense from feeling the same nervousness as his king. Arnold sighed at his squire's words, but he could not deny them. As soon as the lord chamberlain had welcomed them into the palace, a feeling of reverence had overcome him and his excitement had faded.

The king and squire followed the lord chamberlain and didn't stop until he stomped twice with his golden cane. "His majesty King Arnold of the land of Fairytales with presents for Princess Helga!" he announced loudly and banged the cane into the floor again. A door opened and Arnold felt his heart get stuck in his chest when he saw the girl who had haunted his dreams, both when he was asleep and awake, ever since he had first met her.

Helga walked into the room, followed by her parents and court ladies. Arnold noticed that one particular court lady seemed to be allowed to be much closer to the princess than the others. The girl was short, of Asian descent perhaps and seemed very sweet. Helga's face was one with dignity, a beautiful face framed by blonde hair. He did not know any other princesses who would let their hair hang like that. The empress for example was wearing her hair in a bun that looked so tight that surely she could feel it on the skin of her face and scalp. Helga was wearing a pink dress, like Arnold had hoped and assumed.

"Good afternoon, your highness." Arnold said, took his feathered hat off and bowed deeply.

"Good afternoon." She replied and curtsied in front of him. When he arched his back, the feather on his hat tickled his nose and he made a small sneeze. He looked at the princess in embarrassment and noticed that she had lifted her hand to her mouth, hiding a snicker and he couldn't help but smile. That expression was definitely better than the one he received from the emperor and the empress.

"Well, appeal is not one of his traits." One of the court ladies whispered in Helga's ear and she couldn't help but snicker.

"And he is far too short as well." She added, hiding her mouth behind her hand and snickered with her court ladies. The court lady closest to her gave her a bit of scolding look and Helga stopped laughing.

Arnold looked curiously at the uncommon image of a princess listening to her court lady and looked at Gerald. "See? We have that in common." He whispered and Gerald nodded thoughtfully before offering him the silver casket. "In all modesty, your highness…" Arnold said, opened the casket and grabbed the rose inside gently. "I bring you a rare rose, a symbol of your beauty."

Helga's eyes widened a bit. _A rose?_ She thought in shock and put her hand to her chest. _Oh, what a fool!_

"Pink?" Helga questioned with a forged smile and Arnold nodded.

"That _is_ your favorite color?" he asked and she nodded.

"I appreciate that you have at least had the decency to study before offering me a present." She said and was about to grab the rose until she heard her father's voice.

"You bring a simple _rose_ to my daughter? Surely, this is some horrid attempt at a joke? If my daughter wishes for flowers, we have a rose garden right outside her own chamber." The emperor grunted and grabbed the rose, causing Helga to flinch and put her hand back in front of her waist. The emperor snorted at it and whipped it towards one of the servants who grabbed it, bowed and walked away to dispose of it. "You have some nerve." The emperor said to Arnold who took a fearful step back.

"Oh, let us see the other presents first before we get angry." The empress suggested and pulled her husband back next to her. He grunted angrily, but waited for Arnold to present the next present. He gulped and gestured for Gerald to give him the birdcage. Gerald lifted the birdcage from the ground and removed the vail. The nightingale started singing happily as soon as it was revealed.

"A nightingale, your majesty. A symbol of your beautiful soul." He said and Helga hid a frown. _A bird? He is bringing vermin into my palace?_

The emperor growled again. "I have lost my patience! You travel all this way uninvited and then you waste our time with these presents that are more fitted for a peasant than for a princess! Get out of my palace, my kingdom and don't you dare show yourself in front of my family again!" he ordered.

"Your majesty…" Arnold said in shock and looked at Helga who refused to look back at him.

She took a deep breath and then scowled at him. "You heard the emperor, did you not? How dare you shame me by representing me with such cheap presents? Throw out the rose, let the nightingale out of its cage and _you_ can follow it back to where you came from!" she said and whipped her head around, her hair brushing his face in the process.

Arnold watched Helga walk away, followed by her court ladies and her parents, who were all praising her for showing him his place. Arnold felt his heart sink as he turned around and followed Gerald back to his carriage.

Once they were outside, Gerald opened the door to the carriage for Arnold. "I warned you, your majesty." he reminded him before and Arnold sat down.

"It is not over, squire." He said and looked back at the palace.

"Oh." Gerald said and quirked an eyebrow. "I suppose I must have misjudged her complete and utter indifference to you."

Arnold frowned at Gerald before Gerald walked inside and sat in front of him. "You would give up if you were me, wouldn't you?" Arnold asked.

"Giving up is a little moot at this point, your majesty. Can you hear that?" Gerald asked and put a hand behind his ear. "It's a fat lady and she is singing." He said and put his hand back on his lap.

"Did you not see the way her eyes changed while we were talking?" Arnold asked and Gerald cocked an eyebrow.

"From contempt to repulsion?" he asked, but Arnold shook his head.

"Her father's words made her act the way she did. I just need a second chance at talking to her… but without her parents nearby." He said and looked out of the window. "I _will_ have my princess in the end."

* * *

><p>Gerald's face had been one of disgust for a full ten minutes as he held a bucket of dirt in his arms. "You are going much too far, your majesty. Surely you are unrecognizable by now?" he asked, <em>begged<em>, as he watched his king smudge the dirt on his face. The royal blue clothes he usually wore were replaced by an old, blue hat that was much too small for him, a tattered cloak, pants with holes in them and a shirt, Gerald assumed had been white before Arnold had dipped it in some dirty water.

"I need to make sure, Gerald, but I believe you are right." Arnold replied, as he looked himself over in the mirror once more. "They can't possibly recognize me now?"

"_I_ can barely recognize you, my king." Gerald answered and frowned at the bucket of dirt in his hands. He offered it to the servant next to him who gave him a distasteful look before taking it and walking out of the chamber with it.

"Thank you, Gerald." Arnold answered and readjusted the black wellington boots.

"If I may say so, your majesty, there is a flaw in your plan. Do you truly believe that princess Helga would want to be seen with one of the servants?" Gerald asked and Arnold shook his head.

"I will figure something out. Wish me luck." He answered before disappearing out of the chamber.

Gerald nodded. "He will need all the tokens of good luck if he has to pull this one through…" He muttered to himself.

Arnold made haste to Helga's kingdom by carriage, but sent the carriage back as soon as he neared the palace. He approached the gate and asked for employment at the court, which the lord chamberlain didn't seem too keen on giving him. Arnold almost gave up until he noticed Princess Helga walking inside the garden. He had smiled, turned to the lord chamberlain again and begged once more. The lord chamberlain had caved in and told him that all they could be in need of was a swineherd. Arnold had taken the job without any hesitation. In his own castle, they had pigs as well and he had often wandered around the pigsty and had even taken a liking to a special pig he had named Abner. Taking care of the pigs didn't seem like a job that would be too hard to do without any experience, so he headed to the pigsty in a good mood.

Thanks to Arnold's way with animals, he quickly befriended all the pigs and eventually learned how to take care of them. He had only been working at the palace for a few days when he saw the princess again. He was crouched between the pigs, playing around with them in the mud, when he heard the unmistakable sound of high-heels clattering on the path made of stone. He peeked over one of the pigs and noticed the princess running towards him and only stopping once she had sat down on a grand, white rock only a meter away from the pigsty. Arnold smiled until he noticed her face. It was tear-stained and he frowned at the unsuitable expression on her. He didn't wish to see the princess sad.

"Excuse me, your majesty." Arnold said and stood up. Helga gasped and whipped her body around to look at him, slipping down from the rock in the process. Arnold jumped over the fence from the pigsty and saw the princess lying on the grass, her hands desperately holding her dress down to cover her pantalets. "I am terribly sorry, princess! I did not mean to frighten you." He said and offered her his hand.

"Well, you did!" Helga retorted and got herself sitting up. She noticed his hand, but waved it off. "Don't touch me! You are covered in mud!" she said and stood up. She looked behind her dress down at the skirt, noticing some strays of grass on her dress. "Oh, my parents will have my head for this."

"Surely not. It is only a dress." Arnold said, but knew he had made a mistake when he saw the anger on Helga's face.

"Well, I don't expect a _swineherd_ to know about fashion. You have any idea how much even _one_ of my dresses cost?" she asked, but put her hand up to stop him from answering. "Oh, don't bother… This is why I tell them I shouldn't wear such expensive dresses when we are just ourselves at the palace." She continued and sniffed as she brushed the pieces of grass off the skirt.

Arnold smiled as he watched her, but coughed awkwardly when she looked at him again. "Your highness, forgive me if I am speaking out of turn, but… did I see… tears in your beautiful eyes?"

Said eyes widened at the question. The princess was in shock; not only had this swineherd just seen her fall backwards, but he had also seen her crying? And now, he even had the nerve to approach the subject as if he was a dear friend of hers! "You _are_ speaking out of turn." She said and arched her back.

"Forgive me, your highness." Arnold said and bowed deeply.

"Get back to work, swineherd." She ordered and he heard her walk past him.

"Y-Your majesty!" Arnold called and turned to look at her. She looked at him over her shoulder, quirking an eyebrow when she noticed he was nervous. Not that it should be any surprise; he was standing in front a princess after all, a princess he had just insulted even. "Please… if this is the place you go to when you wish to be alone… then do not mind me and sit back down."

"I do not _mind_ you, mind you." Helga retorted. "I came here to be alone. I cannot do that with you around and you have work to do." She continued and was about to continue walking.

"I will not bother you!" Arnold insisted and she shot him a questioning look.

"Persistent, aren't you?" she asked sarcastically, but he just bowed again. She turned to look back at the palace. _I will not find another place that is as isolated as this. If I go near the rose garden, the gardener will attempt to chat with me… This boy has at least sworn to leave me alone._ She thought and walked past him. He leaned back up and smiled as he watched her sit back down on the rock, her pink dress covering it completely. Arnold bowed again in front of her and went back into the pigsty.

Helga and Arnold did not exchange a word after that, but Arnold stole a glance ever now and then, watching the princess enjoy the summer wind whenever it would take ahold of her hair. He did not notice, but once or twice Helga would let her eyes travel towards him as well and so their days continued. Helga would come back to the pigsty at least once a day in order to be alone. They did not exchange words the first three days, but enjoyed the other's silent company.

One day though, and Arnold's shock had been more than evident, Helga spoke to him. "How do you like working here?" the blonde woman asked, looking at her fingers as they tapped on her lap. She wasn't sure why she was feeling nervous. He was just another servant after all, but she had to admit that he was one of the few, if not the only, she felt comfortable around. Perhaps it was because he was a swineherd and not something of a higher status like the lord chamberlain. She felt as if she had to wear a mask even around her own servants, but not with the swineherd.

Arnold had almost dropped the food he had been supposed to put in the trough when he had heard the princess' voice. With a small sound of surprise, he readjusted the bag in his hands and made sure all of the food landed in the trough.

Helga, who suffered no ear damage, heard his choked sound though and looked at him. "Do you intend not to answer me?" she asked, but noticed that he was shaking his head in panic.

"Oh, no, princess. I did not mean to seem rude. I just… didn't expect you to talk to me is all." Arnold explained and smiled at her.

She looked away instantly, her body tensing at his intense gaze. "D-Do not misunderstand." She said. "Mother and father are out and I am feeling chatty. I cannot exactly speak to the swine."

"You could, actually."

"Excuse me?"

"They cannot reply, but they are very good listeners." Arnold joked and petted a pig next to him.

Helga frowned. "Is this your way of telling me that you do not wish to speak to me?" she asked and Arnold shook his head eagerly.

"Not at all! I was simply attempting a joke, your majesty, but it fell to the ground." He explained and leaned over the fence to get closer to her.

"Indeed." She agreed, but he could see a hidden smile on her mouth. "So… do you intend to answer my question?"

"I enjoy working here very much, your highness. If I may say so, I also enjoy that you come here every day."

"Even though we do not speak?"

"Just being in your presence brings me in a state of awe, princess. I work in a pigsty after all. Your presence brings beauty to my surroundings." Arnold answered with a smile that made Helga's heart skip a beat. A very uncharacteristic blush threatened to spread on her cheeks so she resorted to what she knew best: sarcasm.

"I am not sure if that is a true compliment. You just compared me to a swine after all." She said and looked at one of the pigs with disdain on her face. "Even the least charming woman in the world is beautiful if caught next to a pig."

"I disagree, your majesty. I find pigs very adorable."

"Explain. How can such a filthy animal be endearing?"

Arnold crouched and put his hands around a pig's face, turning it towards the princess who glared at him in disbelief. "How can you not love this face?" he asked and scrunched his own face to look like the pig. Rather than the pig, the princess caught herself looking at the swineherd instead and couldn't help the snicker that escaped her lips. She hid it behind her hand, but Arnold had seen it and felt a blush spread on his cheeks.

"What a beautiful laughter, your majesty." Arnold said before he could stop himself and he put a hand to his mouth as if that could somehow bring his words back to his throat. The princess glared at him in shock. She was obviously speechless and before he could apologize, she stood up from the rock and walked away. Arnold sighed and felt a pig put its snout on his cheek as if it was trying to comfort him. "I spoke out of turn again…" Arnold muttered and petted the pig's ear.

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><p>Helga did not come back as usual the day after nor the day after that. Arnold was starting to fear that he had missed his chance when he saw her walk with her court ladies near the rose garden. <em>I must get her attention again!<em> He thought and walked into the small house he had been provided as a home. Every time he had a break in his duties as a swineherd, he spent his time creating a pretty little pot. There were little bells around the rim, and when the water began to boil in it, the bells began to play the same tune Helga knew. He walked out of the house, pretending not to look in her direction, but noticed that the princess was indeed looking at him.

"That cannot possibly be a pot, can it?" Helga asked one of her court ladies, the one she trusted the most.

"If a pot has bells on it, your majesty, it can in fact create such a melody. It resembles the one that you play." The court lady, named Phoebe, answered. Helga was baffled. The last time she had spared the swineherd a waken thought, she had seen a blush on her cheeks in her reflection, she did not care for. She would never admit it, not even to herself, but the swineherd had snuck into her dreams during night once or twice since their last exchange.

Helga had decided it would be safer to stay away from the swineherd. She was the princess after all and if anyone found out that she had been talking to him as if he was an equal, heads would roll and certainly one of them would be her own. Curiosity overtook her though and she felt her legs walk towards the pigsty in habit. She could hear the confused whispers from her court ladies, but she did not care for their opinion and her parents were nowhere nearby to catch her.

The swineherd looked at her, a hidden smile on his mouth only she could recognize since she knew his facial expressions better than her court ladies. "Have you created the pot making that wonderful sound, swineherd?"

Arnold nodded at the princess' question, deciding it would be in her and his own best interest to pretend not to have spoken to Helga before this day. She looked towards his house, closing her eyes and listening to the melody. _The tune even sounds like the way I play it…_ She observed and smiled at Arnold.

"How much will you take for the instrument?" she asked and shock overtook Arnold's face. He had not expected her to wish to buy it from him; he had only wanted her attention if even for a moment, after all.

"You can have it, your majesty. Consider it a present." Arnold answered and stood up, about to walk inside.

Helga was baffled; a swineherd was surely poor and yet he would give his pot away? "N-No." she insisted and he looked at her questioningly. "I am the emperor's daughter and you are a poor swineherd. Certainly there is something I can give you?"

Helga would never admit that she truly wanted to give the swineherd something, no matter what. It was not only due to the financial difference between them, but also because she wished to apologize for her behavior the last days, where she had ignored him. He had meant no harm, she knew that, but he created feelings inside her that did not befit a princess, especially not if such feelings were for a swineherd.

Helga could see that he was surprised at her insistence and she couldn't blame him; she could even feel the eyes of her court ladies gawk at the back of her head. Arnold was in deep thought for a moment. "There is only one thing I wish from you, your highness." He said, knowing that he would soon be walking on thin ice. This price could damage any possible chance he had with her, but he wanted it more than any gold she could offer and not because he had plenty of his own.

Helga nodded, silently asking Arnold what his price was. "I wish for permission… to kiss the princess' cheek." He answered. The court ladies behind Helga gasped, some of them uttering words of disgust and others were giggling maliciously; those were the court ladies who disliked the princess the most. Helga herself seemed frozen to the spot. Only when Phoebe touched her shoulder, she seemed to come back to the Earth.

"You are trying to make a fool of me." Helga stated, but he shook his head.

"A kiss on the cheek, my princess, and the pot will be yours." He answered and bowed for her.

"To offer a princess such a dangerous price!" Helga hissed and turned her back to him, her court ladies following her dutifully. _The nerve!_ Helga thought, hoping that her flushed cheeks were safely hidden behind her hand.

The sound of the pot caused the princess to halt though. She turned to look at the swineherd again, a look of distinguished innocence and hope on his face. The expression made her look at her court ladies, her lips turning to two thin lines in deep though.

She pointed accusingly at them. "Hold out your skirts and stand around us so no one can see." She ordered and the ladies gasped and giggled as they followed her back to the pigsty. _I must have gone mad! The pot is not that special._ Helga thought and yet she approached the pigsty and put her hands on the fence, trying to rest them casually, but her nails were digging in the back of her hand painfully. "I accept your price."

Arnold was incapable of hiding his happiness and that made Helga blush even more. He leaned towards her, but she quickly pulled out her handkerchief from her chest pocket inside her dress and put it over his mouth.

"At least wipe your face first before you kiss a princess' cheek! You are filthy to say the least." She said and Arnold wiped his mouth and cheeks as bidden.

Helga's face scrunched when she saw how dirty her handkerchief had gotten and offered it to a court lady who looked just as disgusted as Helga did, but took it obediently. Helga then took a deep breath and closed her eyes, waiting patiently for a kiss she was unsure how she felt about. She felt his breath on her cheek before a pair of warm lips placed themselves on her pearly-white skin, which grew red and hot at the feeling.

When the mouth disappeared, the princess blinked and looked at the owner of the lips. The swineherd was smiling childishly, which almost felt contagious, but she managed to hold her smile back.

"The pot is yours, princess." Arnold said and bowed for her.

"It most certainly is!" she said and was about to walk inside the pigsty to retrieve it, but a pig walked in front of her and she jumped back in revulsion.

"I shall get it." Arnold said and walked into his house, snickering behind his hand.

Helga felt a hand pat her shoulder and she turned to see a court lady holding a clean handkerchief in her hand. "You misfortunate creature! Forced to kiss a swineherd of all people." She said and wiped Helga's cheek gently, but firmly.

"She could have chosen to threaten him to have him fired instead." Another court lady pointed out and Helga's eyes narrowed at her words.

"Are you patronizing my choice?" she asked and the court lady instantly curtsied, apologizing for her words. "Remember." Helga said in a harsh tone. "I am the emperor's daughter. _No one_ must know about this day."

* * *

><p>To Arnold's disappointment, Helga didn't return to her usual habit of joining him for the day as he had hoped. He was certain he had seen a well-hidden happiness on her face after he had kissed her. If he had felt anything else, he would have given up and gone home, but he knew he still had a chance. Therefore, he decided to make another instrument that could charm her. He made a rattle, which, when turned quickly around, played all the waltzes, gallops, and polkas known since the creation of the world. Once the princess and her court ladies could be seen near the pigsty again, he swung the rattle to the amusement of even the pigs.<p>

Helga's ears perked up at the sound and she looked towards the swineherd. "I have never heard such a wonderful composition." She said in awe and smiled at the swineherd who was smiling at the pigs. _He cares so much for those pigs…_ She observed and heard Phoebe talk to her.

"I have never heard of a rattle who could make such a sweet sound. It is even rarer than the pot, your majesty." She said and Helga shot her an annoyed look.

"Are you trying to push me towards the swineherd?" she asked in a whisper.

The girl looked at her innocently. "I am only pointing out that I am sure you will find pleasure in the rattle." She said and curtsied.

Helga didn't believe her, but her interest was definitely piqued. "Go and ask him what he wants for the instrument." She ordered and Phoebe curtsied again before heading towards the pigsty. "But no kissing!" she hissed when she noticed that her mother and father were standing nearby, talking to the lord chamberlain. She didn't have their attention at all, but she didn't want to take any chances.

Helga watched as Phoebe talked to the swineherd and her face was visibly paled when she returned. "He wants… He wants a kiss." She whispered and the court ladies gasped, giggled and groaned.

"He wants to kiss my cheek again?" Helga asked with a frown of embarrassment on her face.

"No." Phoebe replied and shook her head.

"He wants me to kiss _him_?" Helga asked, hearing the court ladies groan at the mere thought, but Phoebe shook her head again. "But you said…?" Helga questioned and leaned closer to her.

Phoebe put her mouth near her ear. "He wants a _real_ kiss." She whispered. The court ladies had all leaned as close as physically possible in order to hear what Phoebe had said and so they all gasped when they heard her answer.

"What a naughty swineherd!" one of them bellowed and noticed the emperor's curious stare. She nodded in his direction and pretended that everything was as it should be, but the emperor still watched them in wonder.

Helga scowled in the swineherd's direction, especially when he smiled at her. _The nerve!_ She thought. "You truly mean that he is asking for my lips?" she asked in incredulity and Phoebe nodded in apology, but Helga noticed the smile on her face. She turned to look at her court ladies. "Cover us." She whispered.

The women squealed in excitement as they followed their princess to the pigsty, forgetting all about the emperor and the empress nearby. "What is all the commotion?" the emperor questioned and his empress looked towards her daughter.

"Why would she go to the pigsty?" she wondered aloud and frowned at her husband who frowned back. "Perhaps we should keep an eye on her?" she suggested and her husband nodded in agreement.

"I'd say your price for a _rattle_ is rather high, don't you think?" Helga asked when she had approached Arnold. She put her hands on the fence and he did the same thing. He would have preferred to put his hands atop of hers though, but he knew that would be too bold. She was already displeased with him after all.

"Ask your lips, I am sure they will tell you it is not all that bad." He replied with a smirk that made her heart skip a beat.

All Helga could do was frown, too many contrasting feelings flowing around inside her. She watched him intensely as he leaned closer to her, his eyes gradually closing. She finally caved in and leaned closer to him as well, closing her eyes expectantly.

"What in heaven's name is going on?!"

Helga gasped loudly and turned towards the voice she knew could only belong to one person. The court ladies gasped as well and curtsied deeply for the emperor who looked murderous.

"Oh, no." Arnold said and jumped over the fence to stand in front of Helga. "Your majesty, let me explain." He begged and bowed before him before Helga curtsied as well.

"There is nothing to explain! Daughter, what a shameful action! To kiss a swineherd!" the emperor shouted and walked past the court ladies.

Helga stepped back, noticing how Arnold was following her and making sure to shield her. "Your highness, I forced your daughter to kiss me. Lay your anger on me and not her!" he begged and Helga looked at him in shock. _Why is he protecting me?_ She wondered, but the thought quickly lost her attention.

"It seemed to me that the princess was leaning just as much into the kiss as you did." The empress said and crossed her arms.

"I… I…" Helga said, looking pleadingly at her court ladies for help, but what could they do?

"Get out!" the emperor said and pointed at the gates.

"What?!" Helga said in shock and took a step back.

"Get out of my palace! Your grubby behavior does not befit a princess! Get out!" the emperor ordered.

"If you think you can defy us as you please, think again!" the empress continued.

Helga's shocked face turned angry. "You have told me to do as I please so I can learn how to rule the country, but when I don't follow your rules, you tell me to forget that lesson?!" she yelled and saw that her father's face was now red with anger.

"Get out!" he roared and Helga turned around. She felt someone take her hand and before she knew it, she and the swineherd were running out of the kingdom together.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's 2<strong>**nd**** note: Ah, a mean place to end it I am sure. (Hee-hee) Do not fret! The next chapter will be up tomorrow ;) In the meantime, please leave a review to tell me what you think :D**** As always you are all more than welcome to draw perhaps a cover for this.**


	2. I am not a princess anymore

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

**They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.**

**Title: "The swineherd"**

**In the last chapter:**_** When king Arnold's attempt to propose to the princess failed miserably, he decided to take a much different approach. He disguised himself as a poor swineherd and asked for employment at the court. As a swineherd, the princess did not seem to care much for our hero, but slowly she started to open up to him even as he made the mistake of being too familiar with her.**_

_**To get the princess' attention, Arnold created an instrument that played the melody she knew so well and sold them to her in exchange for a kiss on her cheek. The next day he made yet another instrument, but demanded a kiss from her lips for this. Just as the kiss was about to take place, the emperor and the empress caught them and threw them both out of the palace.**_

**Author's 1****st**** note: Here is the next chapter! From here and forward, it's almost 100% my own imagination since the original "The swineherd" ended by the palace, differently but still at the palace ;) Enjoy! :D**

**[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 2: "I am not a princess anymore"<span>

By the time the princess and the swineherd had reached the forest, she felt scared. She had never thought she would get kicked out by her own parents. She had nothing, she knew nothing and she was nobody. She only knew the way of a princess, but now she was a woman no better than anyone else. She held her hands around her bare arms, cursing that she had chosen a dress with no sleeves that morning.

_It's summer. Why is it so cold?_ Helga wondered and visibly shook. She felt a piece of material land over her shoulders and arms and she turned to frown at the person who had given her the cloak.

"I am terribly sorry, your highness." Arnold said and stepped in front of her to tie the strings on the collar of the cloak.

"This is your fault…" she said, tears brimming in her eyes.

"I know… I will take responsibility." He answered and put his hands on her shoulders. "Stick with me."

"Stick with? What is that supposed to mean?"

"I am the only person you know outside the palace. I said I would take responsibility, so I will take you to a small house I own in the forest." Arnold explained, hoping that his servants had done as told and left the house in its shabby state so the princess would continue to believe that he was a poor swineherd.

"Are we going to live out here?!" Helga asked in disbelief and looked around. "Where are we?"

"I believe we are in the land of Fairytales." Arnold replied and frowned at the disgusted look on Helga's face.

"Oh, yes. This is where that short excuse for a king lives." She said with disdain dripping in her voice.

"Yes… he is said to be very kind though." Arnold said, but Helga just snorted.

"He doesn't have any sense!" she insisted. "He came to the palace not too long ago and offered me a rose and a nightingale. Did he truly think that my father would find that tasteful?"

"Well, the rose and the nightingale was for you and not for the emperor."

"Any man with common courtesy knows that he needs to go through the father first before he has any chance with the daughter. It even counts for peasants as well."

"Perhaps King Arnold considers your highness a human with her own feelings and with the capacity to make her own choices in life." Arnold said and hoped that he hadn't said too much. Helga looked at him in surprise. She considered his words for a moment, but then the sound of a crow crowing made her shriek and jump into his chest. He was about to lift his arms to hold her, but she jumped back again, realizing what she had just done.

She readjusted her dress, trying to win back some of her dignity. "I'm tired… How far away is that house of yours?"

"Not too far away. We can live there until we earn some money." Arnold answered and started walking.

"Earn money?" Helga repeated and followed him. "How?"

He smiled at her. "Trust me. We will figure something out. For now, we can live from things we find in the forest." He answered and she scowled deeply.

"From the forest? There's nothing edible here!" Helga insisted and felt her stomach growl. She prayed that he hadn't heard her, but a snicker told her that he did. He started walking around; grabbing random strays of grass and pieces of bushes, it seemed like to her. "Are all peasants this odd?" she wondered aloud, continuing to rub her bare arms, but then remembered the cloak and tightened it around her.

"I can make us some soup when we get home." Arnold said, as an explanation to why he was collecting all these plants and herbs Helga had no idea what were called.

"Soup…?" she repeated in disbelief and watched him as he continued to crawl around on his elbows and knees, he was basically eating the dust off the ground.

"Your highness have had soup before, have you not?" Arnold asked, but didn't wait for an answer before he started to list the things he would need in the soup. Words like chanterelles and nettles; words Helga had never heard before and she could feel anger rise within her the more he spoke.

"You!" she said and he turned to look at her. "I can't believe you!" she continued. "We're out in the middle of the forest during the night! We've just been kicked out of the palace, do you have no sense of what is going on here?! I am a princess! I don't know how to live like anything else and you're just strolling around with dirt in your arms! I'm angry and I'm scared and - - "

Arnold threw the stuff he had collected to the ground and put his hands on Helga's face. She stopped mid-sentence, staring at him in shock as his thumbs caressed her skin soothingly. "Calm down." He ordered with impatience in his voice, but also worry. "I know that you are scared, that is to be expected, but I just told you, right? We could be much worse off; we could have no place to go and no money at all." He said and started to collect the herbs again.

After a moment, Arnold saw Helga crouch in front of him and she grabbed a chanterelle. She observed it for a moment before offering it to him. He took it with a sour face, but she didn't let go of it. "Princess…?" he questioned and noticed the discomfort on her face.

"Swineherd… don't leave me."

Arnold hadn't expected Helga to plead with him, but she really was. "I won't." he answered and she looked at him. "I already told you, right?" he reminded her with a smile and held a hand out to her. She took it and he helped her stand up, but she slipped in her shoes and ended in his arms once more. "I think the first thing we need to do tomorrow morning is get you a dress you can walk around in." Arnold observed even though he wouldn't mind her continue to fall into his embrace.

"Oh, God forbid…" she muttered and arched her back, almost slipping in the mud again, but getting steadied by Arnold. "I suppose, however… that a different pair of shoes would be appreciated."

Arnold chuckled at Helga's words and then they started to walk deeper into the forest. Helga would deny it if anyone asked her, but she stayed close to the swineherd, hoping that no wolves would come to take them. Arnold was an honest man, but he didn't have it in him to tell her that there were no wolves in this forest. It would mean she would let go of his hand after all.

Once they were near the house, Helga frowned deeply. "_This_ is a house? Do all peasants live like this?" she asked as she noticed the holes in the roof and the rotting wood.

"Some live with even less." Arnold answered and wondered if he shouldn't continue to speak, but he couldn't help himself. "It is far worse in your kingdom. In the land of Fairytales, King Arnold does his best so that everyone can have enough to live by." He added and opened the door for her.

She frowned at his words, but said nothing as she walked inside. "I'm well aware that my father is not the kindest of people. You don't have to remind me." She said after a moment.

Arnold sighed inaudibly. _That's the part you noticed?_ He thought with a frown and walked towards the bed. He crouched under it and pulled out a thin duvet and pillow. He fluffed both before he put it on the bed. "I'm sure that you're tired, princess. Please get some rest." He said and she walked towards the bed.

"_This_ is a bed?" she questioned, but sat down on it anyhow.

"For a peasant it is." Arnold said tiredly and opened the small closet nearby.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have any nightgowns, but I suppose that this can keep you warm just as well." Arnold said and gave her a long robe.

She looked at it with disdain, but noticed that he was walking away. "Where are you going?" she asked, scared that she would be left alone in the house.

"I'll try to find some wood for the fireplace so we can keep warm. You just get some rest." He answered and then disappeared out of the door. Helga had tried to say something, but she hadn't known what, so she had kept quiet. She looked at the old robe and sighed. _Is this my life from now on?_

* * *

><p>Helga woke up to something she had never experienced before; the smell of hot soup and the sound of someone whistling a familiar tune. She blinked, observed her surroundings and sat up in shock. "Where am I - - " she said in a panic and saw someone she knew well turn around to look at her in surprise.<p>

"Are you feeling all right, princess?" the swineherd asked, though she now remembered he was no longer a swineherd.

Helga sighed and pulled the duvet closer around her. "I don't think I ever will be again. I thought that yesterday had only been a nightmare." She answered and hid her face on her knees. Arnold wanted to say something soothing, but didn't get a chance before their stomachs rumbled in unison. "You seem just as hungry as I am." Helga said with a gleeful smile.

Arnold coughed awkwardly. "When I returned yesterday you had already fallen asleep. I couldn't bring myself to wake you up even though you were hungry." He explained and thought that she was very adorable as she titled her head to the side.

"Didn't you eat?" she asked in confusion.

"Oh, uh. No. I… didn't want to eat without you and I didn't want to wake you up. You've been sleeping soundly ever since." Arnold answered and noticed the surprise on her face.

_He was waiting for me?_ She thought and looked around. "Wait. Where have you been sleeping?" she asked, when she noticed there were no other beds than the one she was in.

"The floor." Arnold replied casually.

"The _floor_?!" Helga repeated in horror and stepped out of the bed. "Is your back not aching then?"

"The floor is not as bad as you make it."

"Well…" Helga insisted, but then wondered why this bothered her so. Her mouth kept talking though. "If the floor is truly not as bad as you say then we will switch sleeping places tonight." She stated and crossed her arms stubbornly as if what she was saying was to her own benefit and not his.

"Your majesty, that is not necessary…" Arnold insisted, but he couldn't help but smile. _So even she can be kind and considerate._ He observed as she frowned at him.

"Are you questioning me? Do as I say, swineherd. You are in no position to argue against me." She said and approached him. He tilted his head to the side. _Still stubbornly proud though_. "Is this… soup?" she questioned with a deep frown at the boiling water in the pot.

"Yes, with chanterelles and nettles to mention a few things." Arnold answered and used a wooden ladle to get the soup into the wooden bowl in his hand.

"Chanterelles and nettles… if my father heard I was planning to eat this, he would get a fissure." Helga said and sat down on a chair near the wobbly table, which she noticed it was when she put her elbow on it. She made a low gasp in surprise when it wobbled beneath her. "Something is wrong with your table." She stated and leaned down, wobbling the table and noticed that one of the legs was shorter than the other were. "Oh, for heaven's sakes! I know you are a mere swineherd, but surely you have the mathematic skills to measure four legs in the same size?"

"Why do you assume _I_ made this table?" Arnold asked with a frown and put the bowl of soup in front of Helga.

"You hopefully didn't _pay_ for this?" she asked and put her spoon into the soup. Arnold didn't know what to answer to that; he hadn't been in the house before after all. Perhaps his servants had made the table wobbly to make the scene of a poor swineherd living in this house more realistic?

Helga didn't seem interested enough in the subject to pursue it any further as she simply put the spoon into her mouth.

Arnold waited expectantly. "Well?" he inquired and she swallowed.

"I do not hate it as much as I thought I would. That being said, I do not care much for it either." She answered. Arnold sighed before grabbing a bowl for himself. "Where was it you said we were going today?" the princess asked before he sat down in front of her.

"To the town. It's market day so many travelers will come to trade or sell their wares. It's a perfect opportunity to get you a new dress, shoes and perhaps find some work for the both of us." He answered and smiled at the frown on her face. "It'll be fine. Eat up and get your strength." He ordered gently.

With a big sigh, Helga grabbed the bowl in her hands and chugged the rest of her soup down. Arnold stared at her in shock, but she just looked back at him. "You told me to eat up, right?" she asked and stood up from the table.

"I didn't expect you, a princess, to be able to swallow it all in one go." He explained and did the same thing since she was tabbing on the table impatiently.

"I have been _taught_ good manners, they are not a part of who I am and I fail to see what I would gain from pretending around you." She explained and walked towards the closet to fetch her dress. Arnold smiled curiously, as he stood up and walked out of the house to give her time to change in peace.

* * *

><p>"Are you in pain?" Arnold asked.<p>

"No, I have just always fancied Victor Hugo so I figured I would honor him by impersonating one of his most famous characters." She retorted angrily. He shot her a slanted look and she rolled her eyes. "Quasimodo!"

He frowned. "I know who you were speaking of!" he argued before she tripped over yet another stone. She growled in pain and noticed that Arnold was offering her his hand. "Let me help you." He said, but she frowned at him.

"We can't be seen walking around arm-in-arm! What would people think?" Helga said and took another step, but slipped yet again.

Arnold managed to grab her arm and saving her from the fall. "People will not think anything. To others, we are merely two strangers." He reminded her, but her face remained distrustful. "See?" Arnold asked and gestured to the townspeople around them. Then the princess experienced something very foreign; she was not in everyone's sight, no one paid her any attention and no one questioned or shot her dirty glances for holding a man's arm.

Helga observed the people around her as she walked next to a man in a more familiar way than she ever had before. She had never walked among peasants before; she had barely seen them up close. A young girl circled playfully around her mom as they walked. The mom looked tired and worn down, but she was smiling happily at her daughter. The child almost crashed into Helga, but Arnold managed to pull Helga to the side before it happened.

The girl was about to apologize, but then stood in awe at the sight of Helga. "Mommy, a princess!" she said and took her mom's hand excitedly.

The woman's eyes scanned Helga's dress, but even though she obviously noticed the holes and cuts on the dress, she smiled at her daughter. "Well then, you should curtsy, right?" she reminded her and the child held skirt out clumsily and curtsied.

"Good morning, your highness." She said and giggled.

Helga giggled as well and curtsied far more elegantly. "Good morning." She answered and the girl jumped excitedly back to her mom.

"The princess talked to me!" she bellowed and followed her mom down the street.

"I didn't think you would like children." Arnold admitted and resumed their walk.

"I do not like them; I envy them. The peasant ones at least." Helga corrected and he looked at her questioningly as she sighed. "Their parents expect nothing of them because they will continue to be what they are even as adults; peasants. These children don't have to do anything else except being children and then take over whatever their parents' business is when they are old enough."

"You don't think they have to know anything?"

"Of course they do, but only about _one_ thing. Cobblers will learn about shoes, a farmer about animals and food, they all have one thing they need to focus on. Through my whole life I've been studying geography, economics, manners, spinet, arts, how to reign, but all those things are useless out here."

"Those things have made you smart; that isn't useless." Arnold insisted and Helga quirked an eyebrow at him.

"How will wits help me out here?" she asked and he smiled smugly at her.

"I'm sure you'll prove to be quite useful." He answered and walked towards a stand with jewelry. Women were gathered around the stand, observing and touching a particular necklace with pearls.

"Your husband won't be able to take his eyes off you when you are wearing these pearls. They are all gathered from Eastern lands." The merchant said and the women gasped.

Helga managed to squeeze through the horde of women. "Eastern lands?" she repeated and the merchant grinned widely at her, recognizing her as a valuable customer due to her dress. "How much are you selling these for?" she asked and the merchant gestured to a piece of paper attached to the necklace. Some women gasped at the low price, but Helga frowned. "How can you sell pearls for so little? The shipment itself costs more than this." She pointed out and noticed the panic on the merchant's face.

"I have a dear friend of mine who pays for the shipment, ladies. We have an understanding." He explained and some women nodded naively while others looked at Helga for advice.

"I see…" she muttered with a smile and held her hand out. "May I?"

The merchant's face grew tense, but he gave Helga the necklace and she looked it over. "They are beautifully made… but nevertheless _made_. These are fake." She said and some women gasped while others frowned in doubt.

"They most certainly are not!" the merchant yelled and tried to grab the necklace.

"Oh, but they are." Helga insisted as she held the pearls out of his reach. "Ladies, I will now teach you something that will serve you well for the rest of your lives. Real pearls are rough and you will feel that if you rub them against each other or against your own teeth."

Arnold smiled at the way Helga spoke to the women: formally, but not arrogantly. She was truly trying to teach them something and not just to show her own wisdom. "Do any of you ladies smoke?" she asked and several of them nodded. "May I borrow your tinder box?" she asked the woman closest to her. She gave it to her obediently, smiling like a small child expecting a magic trick. The merchant watched Helga with a scowl, trying to figure out what she was planning, but with little luck.

"If you are still unsure whether a pearl is fake or not, there's one thing that will tell you for sure." Helga said and squeezed her hand tightly around the middle of the necklace so that several of the pearls ended in a straight line due to the string holding them all together. "You see, real pearls…" She started and struck a few sparks from the flint and steel.

"No!" the merchant cried when he saw the flame under the pearls.

"Real pearls do not melt." Helga finished and in front of the eyes of everyone, the white pearls started to drip down to the ground, just like the strange woman had predicted. No sooner than when the first three drops had fallen to the ground, the women scowled the merchant. They yelled and cursed words, Helga had never heard before in the palace, but decided to remember and soon the merchant had run off to escape the angry women.

"Thank you so much, madam!" a woman bellowed and took Helga's hands thankfully. Helga almost pulled back; the physical touch was very foreign to her and made her slightly uncomfortable, but she forced herself to accept the handshake.

A man approached Helga as well and took his hat off while the woman stepped aside. "I thank you as well, ma'am. I was planning to buy the pearls for my wife. I do not come to the town very much and have never participated in the market's day. It didn't even occur to me that anything could be artificial around here. Could I perhaps pay you for your time?"

"My time?"

"I wish to find a proper anniversary present for my wife, but I am horribly ignorant. I wish to buy your expertise, if I may?"

"Expertise? You are kind, sir, but this is my first time at a market as well. I am not fit to teach anyone anything." Helga insisted, but Arnold stepped slightly in front of her to stop her.

"What are you doing?" he asked in disbelief before the man sighed disappointedly.

"I was so hoping to find some help. Your first time to the market? And yet you could see through the crook so easily. Where have you learned such things?" he asked.

Helga shrugged. "My father taught me how to spot a crook miles away. He would never let his daughter be naïve enough to fall for such a mindless trick." Helga answered and frowned at another stand nearby. "Speaking of which…"

Arnold and the unfamiliar man turned to look in the same direction as Helga who didn't wait for them to notice before she approached the stand. "You have an exceptional wife." The man said.

Arnold sighed happily. "If only she will be someday."

The man chuckled. "I can imagine she is hard to impress?"

Arnold snickered as well. "You can call it that." He answered before they walked towards Helga who was watching a female merchant closely as she was trying to convince a male customer that he must have miscounted the amount of copper he had brought with him.

Helga kept on eye on the weight as the woman placed the copper back on one bowl and some triangular stones on the other. "You see?"

"Well, I'll be damned. Perhaps my old eyes are starting to get to me." The man said and put a few more pieces of copper on the bowl until the weight matched. Helga frowned and stepped closer to the weight. Just as the woman was about to sell, Helga took the copper in one hand and the measuring stones in the other. The weight instantly tilted towards the side the copper had been on.

"Sir, I think you may want to see this." Helga said and the man looked towards her.

"You insolent brat!" the woman said in horror as Helga put one of the measuring stones back in place. The weight now stood perfectly still, easily balanced on both sides.

"Well, would you look at that…" she muttered and looked at the female merchant accusingly.

"I… I had no idea!" the woman insisted, but no one around the stand believed her.

"Of course not. You are a busy woman." The customer said with venom in his voice before grabbing his copper pence out of Helga's hand. "Thank you, child." He said, took his hat off and walked away.

She looked down in her hand and noticed a couple of pence in her hand. "Sir, you forgot two!" she said, but he simply waved at her with a smile and continued his way. Helga stared at the coins in her hands and went back to Arnold and the unknown man, leaving the female merchant alone with what used to be potential customers. "I did not expect to get _paid_…"

"He was thankful. Some people show appreciation through money." Arnold explained teasingly and Helga shot him a small frown.

"And I am one of them." The man said and took his hat off again. "Please, my dear. What you did just now proved my point. You see things I cannot. Please may I buy you help?" he requested.

Helga looked down the street, stall standing next to yet another stall and continuing beyond her eyesight. "Well, I am going through the stalls myself anyway, so why not? I might as well serve some justice in the meantime. I accept." Helga answered with a smile and offered Arnold the coins so he could hide them in his satchel.

"Thank you, my lady." The man said gratefully as they started to walk.

"I would say the bigger issue here is to find a stall with an honest merchant." Helga muttered with a frown. "I have yet to see a stall that does not ooze of greedy tricks and mindless games."

* * *

><p>"I am starting to question the honesty of the rest of the world and not just the palace." Helga admitted when she and Arnold had said goodbye to the strange gentleman who had paid Helga a more than decent sum of money once they had managed to find a proper gift for his wife.<p>

"You must remember, your highness, that the merchants here are also just trying to make a living." Arnold pointed out before they continued through the street.

"By stealing and cheating?" Helga questioned and looked around, frowning at most of the merchants she had already caught cheating one way or another.

"They are starving just as much as the next peasant. It's not a fair world we live in, no matter how much the king is trying to make it be." Arnold explained, a sour expression on his face. He knew that his kingdom wasn't perfect and he was wondering if he really couldn't do anymore for his people.

"Well, these peasants should be grateful. According to you, their king at least cares. That's more than what I can say for my father." Helga said, but then her eyes caught something and she stopped walking.

Arnold almost stumbled, since he was still holding her arm around his, but managed to balance himself and look in the same direction as she did. "Pink. Why does that not surprise me?" Arnold muttered teasingly, when he saw the pink fabric on a dress in one of the stalls. The dress consisted of a white and puffy shirt with a brown corset around it. The skirt was long and white, but had a pink apron wrapped around the waist.

"My mother often said that my taste in dresses was the only feminine thing about me." Helga admitted and hesitated to walk towards the stall.

"That is not necessarily a bad thing." Arnold insisted and used his arm to push Helga towards the stall.

"How is it not? I am a woman, am I not?" Helga questioned and he shrugged.

"I have always wondered why we expect women to behave one way and a man the other. This close-minded way of thinking only brings pain to others, so I have decided to ignore all these unwritten rules about how I myself or anyone else should act. After all, a woman is a woman as long as she sees herself as one, yes?" he asked with a smile and started talking to the merchant, but Helga wasn't listening anymore as she simply stared at the swineherd. _What an interesting way of thinking… I have never met a man like that. Then again, I have only ever met nobility… Perhaps I should reconsider my opinion of him?_ She wondered and noticed that the merchant took the dress she had been having her eye on.

"Are we buying this?" Helga asked and Arnold nodded.

"We came here to buy you a dress, after all. I am also buying you some clocks, they are easier to walk with though you will need to get used to them first, I believe." He answered.

"Clogs…?" she repeated in confusion. He grabbed a pair of shoes and showed them too her. "Oh, those hideous things?!" she asked in disbelief and took them in her hand. "Do all women in this town wear these…?" she asked, but as soon as she turned around, she noticed that every woman passing by wore shoes similar to her own. "God, spare me…" Helga muttered, but took her own high-heeled shoes off and had to admit that it was a relief. She quickly changed into the new ones and tried walking around in them.

Arnold snickered at her clumsy way of walking. "How do they feel?"

"Strange… Better than the ones I wore before, but strange." Helga confessed and took the dress from the merchant when she offered it to her.

"Want to change now?" Arnold asked and she looked questioningly at him.

"Where?" she asked and he offered her his arm again. She followed him until they were in a secluded ally. She questioned the safety of her situation, but the thought of getting out of the heavy dress and the much too tight corset underneath it was too tempting. Therefore, while Arnold stood guard, the princess changed into the much simpler dress and threw the other one into the garbage.

"I have finished changing." She declared.

He turned to smile at her. "Does that feel better?"

Helga looked down at herself. "Physically, yes… My pride though is less than satisfied." She admitted.

"It suits you though." Arnold insisted and she scowled.

"Demons! That is not a compliment!" she retorted and was about to start a rant, but then heard music somewhere. She walked past Arnold to look through the street and noticed peasants running towards her right. "What is all the commotion, swineherd?" Helga asked and stepped out into the street. She was almost trampled down, but Arnold pulled her back to him.

He ignored the warm feeling that spread in him at having her so close as he answered. "At the end of the market day, it's tradition to hold a festivity."

"Festivity?"

"Chatting, drinking, eating, dancing."

"I _know_ what a festivity is! Though back at the palace, we called it balls."

"It is not quite the same as a ball. I believe the way they dance is also quite different."

"I can imagine…" Helga said and dared to take a few steps back into the street.

Arnold observed her curious look. "Do you wish to participate?" he asked, but as he had figured, she looked at him with disgust.

"Dear swineherd, would you care to take a moment and listen to the nonsense coming out of your own mouth? I am a princess, perhaps not as much as before, but nevertheless raised as one. I wouldn't know what to do at this kind of festivity. Besides, I cannot possibly dance in these… clogs as you call them." She insisted, but her eyes kept going back to the crowd of people.

"You need practice with the clogs and I dare say this is the perfect opportunity. Would you rather go back to the cabin?" Arnold asked and she frowned again.

"No…" she admitted and looked down at his arm.

"Well?" he asked and offered it to her. With a sigh, she took it and let him lead her towards the gathering.

The closer Arnold and Helga got to the festivity, the more the princess clung to the swineherd, not that he would complain. She felt nervous in these new surroundings and she could recognize little to nothing compared to the balls in the palace. People were frolicking, dancing happily and chatting loudly; at a ball, the chat would be more of a mere whisper and if anyone dared to be a little too noisy, someone would be sure to have them know. Even the music was different. The music at the balls was always calm, collected and beautiful. The sound here was almost a little noisy in her opinion. She wondered if the musicians had even been educated at all.

"What is the name of the orchestra?" she asked and Arnold looked questioningly at her.

"You don't believe I know the name of every single person in sight, do you?" he asked and she shook her head.

"No, but surely you know the name of the group?"

"Princess, this is not an orchestra; they are merely villagers who have gotten together to play for tonight. They are not hired to be here. If you know the song they are playing, you could go up and grab one of the unoccupied instruments and play along." Arnold explained.

Helga looked up at the small stage where the musicians were and noticed for the first time that instruments were lying carelessly around, ready to be either stolen or played with by any hillbilly that would dare. "Are any of these people taking this seriously?" she asked in mockery.

Arnold snickered. "This is supposed to be fun. We are not here to impress anyone." He explained, but she didn't look convinced.

"Parties are _always_ a way to impress people. It is a way to meet nobility, gain valuable acquaintances and make your home a household name!" she insisted.

"Not here, it's not. You see any nobility around?" he asked. "E-Except you, of course."

Helga's shoulders fell and she looked around at the happy people around here; she felt like a fish on land. "I don't belong here." She murmured, but felt Arnold's hand squeeze her shoulder.

"Yes, you do. All you need to do is let loose. No one is going to judge you for what you do here. I know it's a foreign subject to you, but you can act _exactly_ how you want around here." He insisted and looked at one of the tables. "Just look." He said and stepped onto the table, earning the attention of the people around him.

Arnold started dancing something Helga didn't know the name of and frankly, didn't want to either. She was so unbelievably embarrassed on his behalf; it didn't even look like dancing! She looked around, expecting people to look at him funny or laugh at him, but instead they were clapping and hollering. She arched her back and looked up at him again, noticing the knowing smirk on his face. She started smiling unsurely before she clapped in synch with the townspeople.

Arnold suddenly offered his hand to Helga and at first, she just looked at it in confusion, but then she stepped back and shook her head violently. "Have you lost your marbles?!" she asked, but then some people behind her started to push her towards him. "Hands off!" she scolded, but soon her hand was in Arnold's and he had pulled her up on the table.

Helga feared that he would force her to dance the way he had just before, but instead he pulled her into a dancing position she knew. _How does he…?_ She wondered as she followed his steps flawlessly, this type of dancing not only familiar to her, but more of a second nature.

"How do you know - - " she tried to question, but then he lifted her up from the table and jumped to the ground with her in his arms. She shrieked, but followed him easily as he swung her around until her back was against his chest.

"_I would bring you rings of gold. I'd even sing you poetry_." Arnold sang and Helga turned her head to look at him in shock. What he was singing was an old folklore from her kingdom, coincidentally also the only song she had ever played on the spinet. She didn't think anyone but her own people knew it."_And I would keep you from all harm, if you would stay beside me_." He continued and she narrowed her eyes in suspicion when he smiled expectantly at her.

"_I have no use…_" Helga started and he continued to smile. "_I have no use for rings of gold. I care not for your poetry. I only want your hand to hold._" She continued and he swung her under his arm again.

"_I only want you near me_." He sang loudly and she couldn't help but laugh at the surrealism of the situation. Here she was, singing the oldest folklore of her kingdom with a swineherd she had only known for a short time, but she did not feel uncomfortable nor even out of place anymore.

"_To love, to kiss, to sweetly hold for the dancing and the dreaming. Through all life's sorrows and delights. I'll keep your love inside me._" They continued in unison, their feet moving fast and furiously on the ground.

"_I'll swim and sail on savage seas with ne'er a fear of drowning and gladly ride the waves of life, if you will marry me_." Arnold finished and lifted Helga up into the air. They were laughing loudly and happily, applause echoing around them.

"How… How do you know that melody?" she asked, her hand resting on his chest once he had placed her on the ground again.

"From you…" he answered and put his hand over hers. "You played it on the spinet… right?"

Helga gazed into Arnold's emerald eyes, her heart starting to nestle comfortably in her ribcage as if it had waited to be placed there. Why did he seem to hold her in such high regard? Did he truly care for her? Her mind was still unsure, but her body seemed to have already decided to trust him as she felt herself lean closer to him. His eyelids lowered and he leaned closer to her as well.

Just as her eyes closed, she heard a roar across the street. She and Arnold looked in the direction of the voice and Arnold gasped.

"Run!" he said and started running with Helga's hand in his own.

"What is happening?" she asked fearfully and turned her head back to look at some men in uniforms breaking the festivity up.

"Remember how I said that no one would care how you acted this evening?"

"Yes?"

"That may not have been entirely true."

"You lied to me?!"

"Townspeople won't care, but the police is of a different opinion!"

"The _what_?!" Helga repeated in shock and followed the swineherd until her legs ached.

They kept running until they reached the forest and Arnold gradually slowed down. "I believe we are safe now." He said before Helga's head touched his shoulder. "Your highness?" he questioned, feeling his heart pick its speed up again once more.

"Dear swineherd, I do not know about people in the town, but people of the palace is never allowed to run with such speed and indignity, so if it makes no difference to you… I would like to request a break." Helga said and Arnold couldn't help but chuckle.

"You were very quick on your feet despite the circumstances… and even wearing clogs as well. Yes, I believe a break is justified." He answered and helped her sit down near a tree and sat down next to her.

Helga looked up into the starry sky; they weren't too deep in the forest so the trees weren't tightly packed and thereby covering the sky just yet. "Where did the sun go?" she questioned and he quirked an eyebrow at her. "Don't get snide with me." She warned and looked back into the sky. "What I mean is… back at the palace, I watched a lazy world go by… this day has just flown away."

Arnold gave her a lopsided grin. "They say time flies by when you're having fun." He pointed out and Helga snickered loudly at the comment.

"I can see the headline already: _Princess goes from balls to harvest festivals… and has fun_. It'll cover page five, six _and_ seven." She joked and even laughed for a bit. "I am only a shadow of myself now."

"And perhaps that's a good thing?" Arnold suggested. Helga seemed uncertain, but didn't answer his question and simply leaned her head back and looked into the sky. Arnold considered saying some more, but he simply joined the princess in looking at the sky. "Do you know any constellations, your highness?"

"Oh, dear God. No." Helga said and chuckled at the mere thought. "I may have had to learn many things, swineherd, but my father never believed that star gazing could possibly benefit me in the future." She turned to look at him. "I assume you know some since you are asking?"

"I do not in fact. I enjoy looking, but I have never learned any names. I was hoping you could teach me."

"Sorry to disappoint." Helga said with a tone in her voice Arnold didn't like. She seemed sad and somehow insulted.

"Your majesty?" he asked gently and put a hand on her shoulder. She flinched and looked down at it, but didn't ask him to remove it nor did she move away herself.

She sighed; she knew what he was asking. "I believe if I had to guess what my parents felt when they looked at me, I would say disappointment." She explained and looked back into the sky.

Arnold let his hand fall from her shoulder, but moved closer to her, watching as she placed her hands on her lap and fiddled with her thumbs. "Isn't that the life of a princess?" he asked softly.

The corner of her mouth lifted. "Perhaps so, though that would make me a whiny brat so I choose to believe it's only me." She stated and pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them to keep them steady.

Arnold observed her for a bit. "It shouldn't be like that… I do not know if it's different for princes or not, but I believe king Arnold have had a good childhood."

Helga snickered and looked at him. "You sure are fond of your king, aren't you?" she asked, quirking a curious eyebrow.

He shrugged a little nervously, silently wondering if she had figured it out and was merely pretending not to have. "I dare say most of his subjects are fond of him. I have never heard anyone say anything else at least." He answered, copying her position.

Helga moved her head to look in front of herself towards the darkening forest. "Incredible. If your precious king had brought more impressive presents, I am sure my father would have convinced me to marry him… I would be on my way to a wedding now and not to a shabby old cabin in the forest." She stated thoughtfully, gazing at nothing in particular.

Arnold wasn't sure whether to smile or not. "Do you regret rejecting him?" he asked. She seemed to think about it for a bit, but then shook her head. He frowned in confusion. "Even if it meant to live in comfort in a palace?" he asked and she simply nodded. "Well, why?"

Helga looked down at the ground, moving her clog-clad feet experimentally. When she rubbed the wood together, they made a small sound, she was starting to grow fond of for some reason. "If I had said yes to the king's proposal… I wouldn't have met you." She admitted in such a small voice that the swineherd had to strain his ears in order to hear her. He did though and his eyes widened as she looked at him, her eyes brimming with uncertainty and shyness. She coughed awkwardly and stood up. "Well, enough with the sentiment."

"Princess." Arnold said with urgency in his voice as he stood up.

"I am not a princess anymore. Stop calling me…" She answered, but stopped talking when she felt his hand take hers. She looked at him, noticing a look in his eyes that made her nervous. "S-Swineherd, d-don't misunderstand!" she said even as he moved closer to her. She never attempted to step away, but her mouth kept ranting in panic. "D-Don't you dare…" she warned, but closed her eyes just as his lips touched her cheek. Her blue eyes blinked open in surprise; she was sure he had been aiming for her mouth. Perhaps he had changed his mind the last second?

When the former swineherd moved back, he smiled innocently at her. There was a hint of contempt in her eyes, perhaps due to her pride being shattered for letting him kiss her, but mostly she looked shy.

"Let's go home." Arnold said and looked at her as he walked backwards, waiting for her to follow him. She did, albeit slowly at first, but picked up her pace and followed him with ease.

"Home…" Helga muttered as if it was a foreign word and moved her hand up to her cheek, touching the spot which was still warm after his kiss.

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><p><strong>Author's 2<strong>**nd**** note: Ah, we only have one chapter left, which will be up tomorrow ;) This chapter is a little longer than it should have been, but I hope that doesn't make anyone hope the last will be just as long xD**

**The song I used for what was supposed to be a folklore from Helga's country is "For the dancing and the dreaming" from the animated movie "How to train your dragon 2". How many of you recognized it? :D**


	3. I got my princess

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

**They all belong to their rightful owner: Craig Bartlett.**

**Title: "The swineherd"**

**In the last chapter:**_** The former princess was on the brink of tears as she followed the former swineherd into the forest. He told her to stick with him and he would protect her and help her learn the ways of a commoner, a life she had to live from now on. Despite the contempt for her new situation brought on by said man, she followed him obediently into the cabin in the forest.**_

_**The next day Helga and Arnold went to the market together in order to buy her a new dress and shoes, but Helga surprised everyone with her wits and ability to see through the sorry excuses for crooks in the stalls. She was paid by more than one man for saving them from being tricked and she even got herself both a new dress and shoes, which she got the chance to try out at the festival by the end of the market day.**_

_**The former swineherd was full of surprises as he proved to not only be a capable dancer, but also knowing a folklore from Helga's country, which they sang together. Just as they were about to move closer, they had to leave the market in haste to escape from the police. They returned home, the fallen princess confused by her own actions and feelings around the swineherd.**_

**Author's 1****st**** note: Ah, the last chapter. It's not been a long journey at all, but it's been fun to write.**

**[Please notify me if you notice any grammar mistakes. This isn't my first language, so there's bound to be mistakes.]**

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><p><span>Chapter 3: "I got my princess"<span>

Helga had never thought waking up to the smell of soup would become a thing she looked forward to. She stayed under the covers for a bit, stretching and arching her back. Her tender body was most definitely not used to this sort of bed and so her bones cracked when she sat up. She hissed as she put her hand over her shoulder, attempting to massage it, but she didn't know how.

"Are you in pain, your majesty?" she heard Arnold ask as he turned away from the pot and looked at her.

She frowned at what he chose to call her, but decided to ignore it. "Yes. I believe the bed isn't very compatible with my back just yet." She admitted and swung her legs out of said bed, her ankles making a sound when she stretched them. "Or the rest of me…"

"Oh, no…" Arnold muttered with a worried frown, Helga couldn't help but smile at. She had never met a person who was this worried for her and he wasn't obligated to even take care of her at all. "Do you want me to help you?" he asked.

"How so?" Helga asked and watched as he put the lid over the pot, which she didn't know the meaning of, before he walked towards her.

"I could try and massage you for a bit, your highness." He said innocently, not a hint of something indecent behind his words.

Yet Helga's face flushed at the mere idea and she put her hands up in defense. "N-No, that's quite all right. I'll be fine, thank you." She said and pulled her feet back into the bed as if they could protect her from him even though he had stopped approaching her.

Arnold looked at bit hurt at her reaction, but nodded at her nevertheless. "Very well." He said with a smile and returned to the pot.

Helga sighed in relief, her hand going to her beating heart. Lately she had start feeling this way whenever the swineherd came a little too close to her. He made her nervous and tingly through her entire body and she didn't understand what that meant at all. She stole a glance from him before she stood up and went to grab her new dress. Well, it wasn't very new anymore, at least not by a princess' standards, but she still adored it despite the simple design. Well, simple by a princess' standards.

Helga looked at Arnold over her shoulder, confirming that he wasn't looking at her before she started to undress. She trusted the swineherd with all her heart, but she felt nervous in his presence, especially in the morning and in the evenings. It made her feel strange and happy to know she would wake up next to him the next morning the same way she would fall asleep next to him as well.

"Princess?"

"Y-Yes?" Helga replied just as she finished tying the corset behind her back. She looked at him, feeling her cheeks flush in urgency as she waited for him to continue speaking.

"Do you remember how to get to the castle?" he asked.

Helga nodded. "Yes, I do." She answered, but then frowned. "I still cannot believe how you managed to convince them to hire me."

Arnold sighed awkwardly. "Well, I know one of the kitchen maids there…" he admitted and then felt a strange presence behind him.

"Oh, do you?" he heard Helga ask and he turned to look at her, only for her to turn her head away from him as she sat down near the table.

He tilted his head curiously and then smiled. "She's my cousin." He added as casually as he could, but smiled even more when he saw how her face brightened at his words.

"Oh." She said and looked at him again. It was hard for him not to point out the obvious jealousy he had just seen on her face, since it made him so happy, but he decided not to push his luck.

"She promised me to find a way for you to work with her in the kitchen. I cannot promise whether you'll be a kitchen maid as well or a scullery maid, but both are paid rather well. I believe king Arnold also let them take home whatever there is left from the food as well."

Helga huffed. "How generous." She said somewhat sarcastically. "The king won't come to the kitchen, will he?"

"Why?"

"I may not look like myself, but I do not wish to risk that he sees the woman he once proposed to in his own kitchen. Who knows what kind of humiliation he will have me feel?"

"I believe king Arnold isn't quite so cruel. If anything, he might pity you."

"And that is better?" Helga asked with a bit of venom in her voice, but it disappeared quickly as she smiled at him in a way he had only seen her smile since yesterday. "It smells good." She complimented.

Arnold smiled back, deciding to look back in the pot before he said anything that might make her feel embarrassed. He adored the smile she had been showing him. The first time she had shown him that smile was yesterday when he had told her he would go to the castle to ask for employment on her behalf. She had told him she didn't like the thought of being left alone in the cabin, but had smiled like that at him when he swore she would be safe and he would be back soon.

Arnold stared absentmindedly into the pot as he started thinking about the trip back to his castle this very morning. His staff had barely recognized him as he had walked inside, wearing these dirty, old clothes, but his smile and his voice had convinced them.

"Your highness!" the cook had bellowed when she had recognized him. "What are you wearing? What wouldn't your friends think if they saw you now?" she asked and huffed.

Arnold merely chuckled. "Oh, they are used to a bit of everything from my side." He jested and continued his way into the kitchen, his staff's eyes curiously on him. "I bring a surprise with me."

"Oh, yes." The butler said and stepped forward as he readjusted his moustache. "We were starting to worry for you, your majesty. We feared the emperor had put you in his dungeon. Where have you been all this time?"

"Now be quiet and let me explain." Arnold said with a laugh, the butler huffing as if he was insulted, but listened intensely anyhow. "As you all know, I went to propose to the emperor's daughter."

"Since you are still wifeless, your highness, I assume it didn't go as planned?" a scullery maid asked, curtsying as she did so.

Arnold nodded. "I believe the princess liked my presents, but in the presence of the emperor who did not like them, she scorned at them and threw me at the gates." He said, his loyal subjects all gasping in horror and anger. "So…" he continued and gestured to his clothes. "I disguised myself as a swineherd in order to get inside the palace and meet the princess alone."

The kitchen staff all chuckled. This was very much like their beloved king; not to give up and go to such extreme measures for a woman they didn't believe deserved him.

"What happened then?" the cook asked curiously.

"Well." Arnold said with a smile. "I created an instrument that enchanted the princess enough to let me kiss her on the cheek to make the instrument hers."

The kitchen staff gasped again, some of the younger girls giggling childishly.

"I created yet another instrument that almost earned me a kiss from her lips…" Arnold continued dreamily and coughed awkwardly when the butler nudged his elbow at him to get him out of his reverie. They all looked at him with understanding smiles, waiting for him to continue his story. "But the emperor and empress saw us and threw the both of us out of the palace!"

"How horrible!"

"Poor princess!"

"They are awful human beings."

Arnold gestured for them all to quiet down so he could continue, but he was happy they were all so angry on princess' behalf. "So I brought her here to the land of Fairytales on foot."

"On _foot_?!" they all bellowed, staring at their own feet in horror.

"Yes." Arnold confirmed. "We are living together in a cabin in the woods and are very poor. That's why she's going to come here and seek employment in the kitchen."

"_Here_?!" they all repeated in shock.

"Yes." Arnold confirmed once more. "And you will hire her as whatever you see fit, but do not be cruel to her." he warned.

"Goodness… This is an ever so interesting story." one of the kitchen maids uttered under her breath.

"And you, Lila." Arnold said and approached her, the redheaded girl curtsying before him. "I have told her I have a cousin here in the castle and so she will seek you out when she comes here. I told her you would help her find a job here."

Lila smiled. "Yes, your majesty." She answered and couldn't help but lean closer, knowing very well that not even that could muffle her question enough to the curious ears around them. "Are you in love, my liege?"

A smile spread on the king's face as he nodded. "Absolutely." He replied and they all bellowed happily as they had waved him goodbye. Arnold had then returned to the cabin, ready to prepare the soup before the princess woke up.

"I believe the soup is finished." Arnold stated, deciding to come back to the present instead of worrying about what had happened earlier this morning back at the castle.

The princess put a hand over her mouth as she yawned. "Excuse me." She said and arched her back. "I'm not used to getting up quite this early."

Arnold held a comment back about how he had been up before sunrise as he served the soup for her. They started eating quietly, Helga moving the spoon around the bowl absentmindedly.

Arnold looked at her with worry. "What is on your mind, princess?" he asked.

Helga growled and put the spoon down on the table harshly, causing Arnold to flinch in surprise. "Well, first of all, would you _please_ refrain from calling me princess? I do not care for being reminded of what I used to be." She answered and looked back at her bowl, a hint of shame in her eyes.

"Do you wish for me to call you by your given name then?" Arnold asked unsurely. Helga blushed at the thought, but simply shrugged. What else would he call her after all? "In that case… Helga." He corrected and saw how she turned her head so that her blonde hair covered most of her face. He could see a hint of red behind the blonde locks and smiled, but decided not to point it out. "That was first of all… what is second of all?"

"Huh? Oh…" Helga said and looked down at her bowl again, ignoring the way her heart was beating from simply hearing her name out of the swineherd's mouth. "I suppose I am merely nervous about today… I have never physically worked one day of my life. Frankly, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do."

"Don't worry." Arnold said and put his hand on top of Helga's, ignoring the way he felt her muscles tense at his touch. "I have told my cousin to take good care of you so there is no need to be so nervous." He told her and pulled his hand back. He could feel her staring at him before she started smiling, whispering a small thank you under her breath.

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><p>Despite Arnold's encouraging words and the giddy feeling she had felt when he had waved her goodbye, Helga still felt like she would faint before she could walk into the kitchen. She took the deepest breath she had ever taken in her whole life and walked inside, looking around. Mostly women, but also men, dressed like the typical domestic servant were calmly chatting as they prepared what Helga assumed was lunch. She gulped nervously as she stepped inside and soon a woman approached her.<p>

"Hello, young lady. What do you want?" the woman, whom Helga recognized as the cook, asked with a smile on her face.

Helga felt suspicious attt the way the woman was smiling so knowingly at her, but she ignored it. "My name is Helga." She started, noticing how some of the servants started snickering.

The cook hushed them even though the smile never left her face before she turned and looked at Helga again. "That is the same name as the princess of the kingdom next to ours, is it not?" she asked teasingly.

Helga felt nervous in the woman's presence, but she frowned at her for the silly question. "What astute observation skills…" she muttered under her breath, but remembered she wouldn't get hired if she wasn't kind. "I-I was hoping I could seek employment here at the castle…" she said and the woman's face almost cracked due to her smile. "It doesn't matter what." Helga insisted, fearing the woman would throw her out.

"We are actually in ever so much need of a kitchen maid." A younger girl said, one with red hair.

"Very well then." The cook said and gestured for Helga to walk over to the redhead. Helga quickly curtsied, unsure what else to do before she approached her.

"Good morning." The girl said kindly and sat down on footstool, gesturing for Helga to sit down on the one next to her. "We are peeling potatoes right now."

"Good morning." Helga said and sat down, looking at the big bag of potatoes in front of her, grabbing one of them and the tool the girl just gave her. "Excuse me…" she whispered and the girl smiled at her. "Are you Lila?"

"Why yes, I am. How did you know?" Lila asked, smiling casually and ignoring the snickers from her coworkers.

"I know your cousin." Helga explained, happy to have found the right girl so quickly. She looked down at the potato and the tool, copying what Lila was doing the best she could.

"Oh, yes. The king told me about you." Lila said, her face painted with panic when she realized what he had just said. "K-King-Kingston." She corrected with an awkward cough, listening to her colleagues sigh in relief.

"Kingston?" Helga repeated in confusion, looking at nothing in particular as she repeated his name in her mind. "Somehow the name doesn't suit him…" she stated.

Lila bit her lip nervously. "He's been told that many times." She insisted, hoping the former princess would believe her.

Helga shrugged thoughtfully. "Oh, well." She said a little dreamily and started smiling. "I suppose a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet…"

Lila looked at her colleagues curiously, all of them holding giggles down. "Oh?" Lila probed, trying to get Helga to say more.

"Huh?" Helga said and felt her face flush bright red. "O-Oh, I mean, I was merely trying to, I meant nothing by what I-I said, I, uh…" she said nervously, her words falling over each other before she gestured for a potato without its skin on. "Is this good enough?"

Lila snickered at the choppy potato, part of its skin still hanging loosely on it. "You have never peeled a potato before, have you?" she asked as she grabbed it, eyeing it curiously. She watched as the blonde girl shook her head in embarrassment. "Look here. I'll teach you." Lila declared before starting to peel the next potato.

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><p>Helga couldn't believe how comfortable she felt around the servants within few hours. Lila was a very sweet girl, perhaps too merry for Helga's taste, but nevertheless kind. She chatted with them all in a friendly way, sneaking around any questions they asked her about herself before she came to the castle and turned the questions on themselves. By the end of their working hours, the servants had changed their minds about the emperor's daughter. She was definitely a woman worthy of their kind-hearted king.<p>

Helga had been about to leave the kitchen when a stranger came into the room. "My ladies." The dark-skinned man greeted before bowing for the ladies. Helga gasped when she recognized him as the squire who had accompanied king Arnold when he had attempted to propose to her. He looked at her and gasped as well. "What is she doing here?" he asked with a small frown.

Helga was sure she had been found out, but Lila approached the squire. "Why, Gerald." She said casually. "This is our new kitchen maid, Helga."

"_Kitchen maid_?" Gerald repeated in a snicker.

"Yes." Lila hissed, but forced a smile on her face. "She lives with my cousin Kingston out in the forest and Kingston asked if she could work here. Naturally, I said yes."

"Kingston?" Gerald repeated and smirked at Helga who crossed her arms, ready to be told that he recognized her, but to her surprise, he simply nodded at her. "Well, I'm sorry, my dear lady. I didn't expect a new _kitchen maid_." He said, still with a snicker in his voice.

Helga was sure the squire recognized her and was mocking her. "It is quite all right, thank you." She said and bowed before him, playing the part of a servant of a lower status perfect.

Gerald looked at her in surprise. He hadn't expected the haughty princess he had met few days ago to bow before him; in disguise as a kitchen maid or not. He would have to ask his king about this when he got the chance.

"What are you doing here?" a scullery maid asked as she dried her hands.

Gerald smiled. "The king has returned from his… journey." He answered. "And he wishes to celebrate with a small, casual banquet for us all to enjoy."

"King Arnold." Helga huffed under her breath, rolling her eyes.

"Yes, the kindest king in the entire world." The cook insisted in a warning tone. "It's such a shame that he isn't married."

Helga almost felt guilty at her words; she had rejected said king not too long ago after all, but she didn't feel any regret. She wouldn't have met her bellowed swineherd if she hadn't. She was sure he cared for her and she was slowly coming to terms with the fact that she might just care for him as well. Perhaps more than she was likely to admit out loud, but she knew it in her heart when she looked at him. No, king Arnold was definitely no match for her swineherd.

"Wait." Helga said when she realized something. "Are we allowed to go to the banquet hall? Is that not only for nobility and royalty?"

They all laughed. "Oh, king Arnold does not care much for status or riches. He cares for kindness and fairness." Gerald explained and gestured dramatically to them all. "So what do you say, ladies? Would you be up for a dance or two before you go home for the day?"

The girls all bellowed happily, throwing their aprons casually away as they stormed towards the banquet hall. In the excitement, Helga followed them and forgot that king Arnold would be there and he was likely to recognize her. She did not think of that before she was standing in the grand hall and so, she attempted to hide behind a pillar as she watched them all dance to joyous music. She looked around for the king, but he was nowhere in sight, which both comforted and yet worried her. After all, if she could not see him, it meant she couldn't hide from him.

A hand on her shoulder caused Helga to turn her head around. A man she had only seen once, or so she believed, was standing before her with a kind smile. "King Arnold…" she stated in panic and quickly curtsied, hoping her blonde hair would hide her face and he wouldn't recognize her.

The king bowed for her as well and then held his hand towards her. She looked up at him in shock, forgetting her plan to hide her face from him. He was smiling kindly at her and she saw no recognition in his eyes so she took his hand and let him lead her out to the floor. She wasn't exactly in a position where she could refuse a king after all.

As they started to dance, Helga stared in the green eyes that belonged to the king. This man had proposed to her, but it felt so long ago. Everything had changed, _she_ had changed and today, she wouldn't have scowled at his kind gifts. She would have thanked him despite her father's words. She considered revealing her identity to him in order to apologize for her behavior, but she changed her mind or rather, her thoughts went somewhere else.

There was something familiar about the way king Arnold was holding Helga. She could recognize his warms hands, his green eyes looking at her as if she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, but that was impossible. She had met the man once or twice, there could be no familiarity between them and he had most definitely never been allowed to hold her like this before. Yet she felt an off sort of safety in his arms.

"I must say…" the king suddenly spoke, earning Helga's full attention. "I had not expected to see you ever again… and in my own kitchen nevertheless."

So he did recognize her, Helga thought and swallowed the lump she had in her throat. It was humiliating how the tables had somehow turned, but she ignored the feeling of shame she felt. "I assume you do not wish to see me there again all things considered?" she asked.

"Of course I don't wish to see you in my kitchen." The king replied matter-of-factly. Helga sighed, nodded and was about to step away, but he continued to dance with her. She looked at him in confusion, silently asking him to explain himself. "I wish to see you dance in this banquet hall, walk in my garden and read in my study." He continued with a smile. "And next to me in my chamber when I wake up in the morning. I still wish to marry you, your highness."

Helga's eyes widened and she forgot to move and so, she and Arnold almost stumbled over each other. He managed to stop moving before they collapsed though, but they had earned the attention of everyone else in the room and the music even stopped.

Helga was staring blankly at the king before her. "You are not serious." She stated almost stubbornly. She didn't want him to be serious.

He simply smiled at her though. "I am very serious, my lady. I have wanted you as my wife since the first time I saw you." He said, took her hand and kissed it.

"I am not even a princess anymore." Helga reminded him a little coldly.

"I do not care for status. I want _you_, Helga."

Said girl felt flattered at his words, but she still shook her head. "My answer is still no. I am very sorry." She said, pulled her hand back and started to walk. She figured she would have to find a job somewhere else, but she didn't get to take three steps before a few guards blocked her way. "Excuse me." She said and tried to walk past them, but they simply followed her. She turned to look at the king, seeing that he was gesturing for the guards to keep her there.

"May I at least ask why?" the king asked. "You have been thrown out of your kingdom, you have nowhere to sleep and I am offering you the comfort of not only a castle, but the way of living you have grown accustomed to. What could possibly be better?"

Helga frowned. How did he know she had been thrown out? She assumed the gossip had spread between nobility and so she didn't bother to ask him. "Nothing could be better, your highness. What you are offering is generous, especially since I have already rejected your advances once."

"But…?"

"_But_… I have gotten to learn more about myself these last few days than I have ever thought possible. I have considered myself useless as a princess most of my life, but have enjoyed the comfort and security there is with the title. When I was thrown out, I thought I could do nothing, but someone taught me that I can do more than I think. I have wits and that is more valuable than a title."

Arnold smiled. "Who is this someone who taught you this?" he asked.

Helga looked away, her eyebrows knitted together thoughtfully. "I think his name might be Kingston…" she muttered, earning some laughs from the people who heard her.

"You're not sure what his name is?" Arnold asked, gesturing for the others to be quiet.

Helga growled in embarrassment. "I admit I lack enough in social skills to have forgotten to ask for his name." she admitted. Others started to laugh again, but grew quiet when the king gestured for them to do so. He was about to say something, but Helga opened her mouth before he did. "I do not care what his name is. Be it his name, occupation, past, family or lack thereof; all that matters to me is his kindness and what I feel for him."

Arnold felt his heart beat once, but roughly against his chest and he shot his subjects a warning look when he saw they were about to laugh again. "And what do you feel for him?" he asked gently and so seriously that Helga felt like she was being interrogated.

"I…" Helga started nervously, looking at everything else but the intense eyes that were on her. It felt as if the last days were passing before her eyes; meeting the swineherd, growing accustomed to his face and his voice. Expecting his smile when she woke up, the feeling of his hand securely around his and his comforting words whenever she needed it. "I think… I love him." She admitted and her hand went to her throat when she said it. She realized it was true, so very true that she was ashamed of herself for not having realized it sooner. "I love him."

Helga didn't see the smile, which grew on the king's face after hearing her words. She simply looked at him with determination in her eyes. "I love him." She stated again, feeling a smile spread on her own face because it felt so liberating to say it aloud. "And not all the riches in the world could change my mind!"

Helga watched as the king sighed happily, something she hadn't expected, before he took his feathered hat off and bowed for her. "I have waited to hear you say that, my love." He said and looked at her, gesturing for the squire to approach him. She frowned at his choice of words, but watched curiously as he gave the squire his hat only to take another one the squire was holding for him. She recognized the small, blue hat almost immediately and she felt her body freeze.

"I am not quite as dirty as you remember me, Helga, but it is nevertheless me… the swineherd and king who loves you with all of his heart." Arnold said and arched his back. Helga kept staring at him as she took a couple of uncertain steps towards him. Her eyes were glazed over with shock and incredulity as she approached him, eyeing him over.

It was him. It was definitely the same man who had both proposed to her as a king and kissed her cheek as a swineherd who was standing before he and when she understood that, she lifted her hand and slapped him across the cheek. The sound ricocheted in the banquet hall and they all gasped. Guards were about to grab Helga, but the king lifted his hand to stop them. He looked at the seething girl in front of him, his face showing no surprise at her action at all.

"How… How dare you…" Helga whispered, her shoulders shaking with anger. He didn't say anything, so she continued. "How dare you trick me like this?! Dressing up like a swineherd, letting me believe you were the only person who had never lied to me and then pulling of this… this… _cruel_ prank?! Was all this revenge? Was it amusing to you when I was thrown out of my home? Did you enjoy watching me live in a shabby old cabin, all the while knowing that _one word_ from you and we could be _here_?! I misjudged you or rather, I was right the first time. You have no sense of common courtesy, you're infuriating, you're - - "

Helga's angry words were muffled when the king stepped forward, putting his hands around her neck and kissing her sweetly. They all looked at him in surprise, half-expecting the girl to slap him once more, but she leaned into the kiss instead, her hands even moving up to rest on his shoulders.

Lila leaned closer to Gerald, whispering in his ear. "What's going on?" she asked, but he simply shrugged, just as confused as she was.

Arnold let go of Helga, watching her as she still scowled at him, but her face was softer now. "Well…" she said. "I suppose I have the rest of my life to avenge myself."

A smile spread on Arnold's face and Helga smiled as well before they kissed once more, this time eliciting an excited applause from the people watching them. He lifted her into his arms and swung her around. "I got my princess!" he shouted happily and she laughed happily as well. And speaking of happily, yes, they did indeed live happily ever after.

**The end.**

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><p><strong>Author's 2<strong>**nd**** note: I admit the slap was not very fairytale-like, but somehow it seemed so fitting xD I wanted her to get angry at him, I think she had a right to get angry with him; he tricked her after all and like she says herself, she has her whole life to get back at him ;) I hope you enjoyed this small three chapter story with a twisted take on the old fairytale. I might do something like this in the future, it was definitely amusing to try out though I'm not sure what other fairytales I'd like to take a spin it. We'll see :D**


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